Evaluating the Evolvability of Paranthropus Cranial Morphology in Relation to Feeding Biomechanics.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Although disagreement persists as to the precise nature of the diet of Paranthropus, there is a consensus that the food resources consumed by Paranthropus were in some way mechanically challenging to process (i.e., by being "hard" and/or "tough"). While the highly derived feeding apparatus of Paranthropus likely conferred biomechanical performance advantages while consuming certain types of foods, it may also have limited the ability of these early hominins to respond to selection and evolve rapidly toward new adaptive peaks (i.e., reduced their evolvability).

Materials and methods

We employed viability selection modeling to test this hypothesis. Viability selection simulations were performed using Paranthropus boisei (OH 5), Australopithecus afarensis (A.L. 444-2)

SUBMITTER: Jung H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12538032 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature